Slipped Through Time
by Amai Youkaiko
Summary: Although the feudal era is her home, the modern era is her hometowm. The question is, however, what if neither is her birthplace or rather birthtime? What if she's younger that what she thinks?
1. Prelude

The time is upon the setting horizon. The woman, who looks no older than sixteen, smiles wistfully as she stares at the sun.

"My love, what is troubling you?" Her husband says as he wraps his long, sturdy arms around her softly as if fearing she'll break.

"I'm worried about her" she replies. "What if we've messed up this time?"

He shakes his head, "she'll be fine".

"I know that!" She snaps, "Sorry, I'm just worried he'll hurt her".

"Do you have that little trust in the one person you trust more than me?"

She turns out of her hug and throws her hands up in the air dramatically, "he tried to kill her!"

He grabs her right hand, soft as cashmere, and looks into her warm hazel brown eyes; the eyes their daughter will share once she was born. "And I not only kidnapped you, I also tried to kill you" he reminds her, "love works in strange and peculiar ways".

"That was different" the woman insists, desperately.

The man rolls his eyes at the denseness of her words, "It was not. I was not a very good person when we met and everyone knows it."

She laughs, "You were being manipulated, and you couldn't help it".

"I killed a lot of people, love".

She smirks, "and did he manage to get you to kill me?"

"No, he didn't and thank god for that" he kisses her tenderly, "but the same can be said for her, you know".

The sky takes on a bluish hue, a signal that the sun is setting in this era. She looks to the sky and sighs, "I must leave you".

His eyes show distant memories, memories of a time that had both been and just started. "Why is it you are always the one who gets to see her?" He laughs, joking. "Look after all my girls for me, love."

The child-like woman looks at her stomach, "all three of us will be safe, I promise".

He embraces her in a firm hug and holds her as he watches her fade in a sky blue light. "I love you" he says just before she disappears. Her now transparent face nods, "you know I love you too".

When he feels nothing left in his arms he heads towards the red-bricked cottage behind the old-fashioned Japanese manor, showing no expression on his face except happiness for a time forgotten. A time remembered only by those who were there.

He makes himself a cup of tea as another woman came out of the manor and entered the cottage, she looks around. "Is she gone?"

He nods his head a yes. "She'll be back soon enough" the woman wearing a long, blue, summer dress says as she sits upon the table stealing a cup of tea. "She is a marvellous persuader".

The man thinks about his wife and the job she has ahead and scoffs, "She would want to be, that man isn't easy to win over".

She sips at her tea, ignoring the rules of no slurping. "I wish I knew what they were talking about. Almost makes me want to go".

The man's eyes widen, making his youthful eyes grow older than they seem, "he'd kill you".

She hits the man who looks no older than his soul-mate, "I said almost".

He shakes his head at the enigma in front of him. She finishes her drink and then throws the mug into the sink. She kisses the man on the cheek and laughs "see you later". She laughs "tell me when she comes home, won't you?"

"You know I could never keep that information to myself, you love her just as much as I do".

He smiles as she chuckles once again, "well, I was her mother for quite a few years there . . . ."

"The irony"

She nods, "the irony". She looks up; her face resembling that on his wife's and smiles at the rising moon. "I wonder what she'll say to him, maybe I'll ask".

He rolls his eyes and moves in front of his bed, "I'm headed to bed, do what you want".

"Night" she whispers as she walks out the door.


	2. The Time Travelling Princess

The woman moves with swiftly, headed in a direction that made no sense; west. Everyone knows that Sesshoumaru-sama rules the Western Lands and only humans with certified proof that they we're allowed to live there were able to enter.

She laughs as she sees the expressions of the passing villagers. If only they knew who she was, who she would be known to be; The Time-Travelling Princess.

She heads forward and then stops and waits, already knowing when he'll arrive. It only took a moment.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I require your assistance" she bows.

The demon lord glares at the offending, pregnant, human woman and attempts to strike her down. His sword hits a barrier and the woman remains unscathed. "What are you?" He demands, already sick of the question he'd now asked two very simular women who did not seem to fear him.

Her eyes shift slightly. "I cannot be harmed by you as you revived me with Tensaiga" she half-answers.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow, "I did no such thing, human".

"Use your nose, Sesshoumaru-sama" she states clearly as if practiced. "Then all shall be clear".

Due to his confusion of her odd request, Sesshoumaru sniffed as she demands. "Why do you hold the scent of my ward?"

"That is because I am Rin, my lord. I come from the future" she smiles and holds her hands at the back of her blue, flora kimono.

Sesshoumaru eyes widen but it is such a minuscule change that Rin does not notice. "You lie" he says thinking of the un-mother.

Rin pulls a single flower out of her obi, "the first thing I gave you was a fish" she starts, "but you refused to accept it. This was the first thing you took from me".

He looks at the withered flower. It had no petals but its beauty was still there, it had been crystallised to preserve the rest of it. He could smell the potency of his scent lingering on it however and that was all the proof he needed.

"What exactly is it you need Rin?" He watches as the girl's face changes from a look of confusion to pure, unhidden bliss.

"My daughter needs protection" Rin rubs her stomach tenderly. "Kagome will probably be the only child I'll get".

"Will this protection extend to after the pregnancy is finished?"

Rin stiffens and then bursts out laughing, "Oh, no. The child I need you to protect has already been born".

This stumps Sesshoumaru "did you not just say that she would be the only child you'd receive?"

"Kagome will inherit my time-travelling abilities" Rin says simply.

Something about the name clicks to Sesshoumaru, "is your daughter that scantily-dressed miko that travels with the half-breed".

Rin nods, "her clothing is actually quite modest in the time she was raised".

Sesshoumaru considers this, "fine, I shall do as you request".

Rin jumps the demon into a giant hug before screaming thank you. Her stomach begins to hurt, "it's alright, my Kagome. We are about to go home".

She disappears into a faint bluish light and Sesshoumaru sighs as he heads towards his blasted half-brother and his pack prepared for a fight. "The things I do for you, Rin" he mutters before he reaches the clearing in which the younger Rin, Jaken and Uh-Un were camped. "We are leaving".

Immediately the toad starts complaining about the girl with the flowers in her hand. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I have these flowers for you". She passes the strange looking bouquet to the man who saved her and smiles.

They walk in silence, Rin happily, Jaken grumpily, Uh-Un contently and Sesshoumaru dreading the destination. He did not want a scandalous miko in his pack but still if she is Rin's daughter then she is pack by default.

'I curse our traditions' he thinks as he begins to smell the miko; the beginning of a storm, it reminded him of. The scent he both loved and hated the most. The scent his mother owns.

It is a hard situation. He had wanted all contact with InuYasha to end after Naraku had been defeated. He considered leaving Rin in the half-breed's village but she'd been against it and the miko, that blasted miko, told him that should he leave the child there that it'd only cause her to die slowly from something called heartbreak.

And even though the child is bothersome, he still loves her. Just like a daughter.


	3. The Mythology Teacher

"Sit boy!" Kagome screams as she attempts to escape InuYasha's grasp. The jewel has been obliterated thanks to Kagome's wish: 'I wish the Shikon no Tama will disappear forever', but she still has full function of the well . . . and intends to use it.

"Why do you bother with all the studying crap? You live here now anyway" he demands with his mouth filled with dirt.

She shakes her head, "you just don't get it; knowledge is power".

"Strength is power; all you need to beat an enemy is a good sword and the ability to kill" he argues, standing up.

She pulls her hands up in the air causing her soft, purple knee-high dress to sway, "I have no idea why I bother! Everyone, for god's sake, everyone, knows that strategy is the key to a battle".

"Who needs strategy? We beat Naraku without it!"

Kagome pulls at her hair through frustration. "Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit and sit!" She jumps on the well, "I am going home, I'll be back in a couple days".

She jumps in and feels the blue aura of the well pulse in agreement. The well swallows her and spits her out in the destination she wishes.

She breathes in the murky air of the modern era. While the feudal era's her home, the modern era will forever be her hometown. It'll always hold a special place in her heart, dirty and ruined or not.

Kagome steps inside and the smell of the sweet, drool-inducing scent of her mother's cooking hits her nose immediately, "mama?"

When she reaches the kitchen the first thing Kagome notices is the man next to her, "mama, who's this?"

The man turns and Kagome gasps in surprise, "Higurashi-sensei?"

Her mythology teacher smiles and then waves, his professional-like clothing still not suiting him. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He wears a black pant mixed with a button-up white top. His head is forever adorned with a large white hat and he wears normal working black shoes, giving him a perfect contrast of black and white. "Hello, Kagome".

"Kagome, I'd like you to meet someone who I've considered a son of mine for quite some time despite the fact he is technically older, this is Ino". Kagome's mother introduces as she waves Kagome to sit.

Ino coughs, "actually that's a nickname; my proper name is a lot longer".

"You two know each other?" Kagome asks.

She laughs, "Haven't you figured it out by his last name?"

"Figured what out?"

Ino chuckles, "I'm a relative, my brother was the first to enter the Higurashi line. He through marriage, I however joined because I was told that because if he was a Higurashi then so was I".

"Isn't it usually the girls who enter the family?" Kagome asks, confused by the statement.

Ino shrugs, "they're a peculiar couple; they take in turns".

"I don't get it".

Ino's eyes light up mysteriously, "you will someday kiddo".

"Right . . . ."

Ino picks up a book off of the counter, "I'm doing an assignment on spirits and I know you have a lacking immune system so I brought you the book we are studying thinking you could do it as you rest".

"Sure" she replies, retrieving the book. "You know Higurashi-sensei-"

"Since we're relatives, when not at school, call me Ino" he interrupts.

"Uh, okay?" She agrees, hesitant, "anyway, Ino, it's just something about you reminds me about someone else".

Ino shakes his head, "no, it doesn't. It's just your mind playing tricks".

"Oh, okay. That makes sense" Kagome agrees. "Mama, I'm going to my room to study".

"Sure honey" she turns to Ino, "I guess you're headed off too?"

He grins, "yeah but you don't mind me taking a bowl of these lovely noodles back with me, huh Rina? It's a long drive".

"I wouldn't have cooked this much if I was going to say no" Rina replies as she pours some of her famous homemade noodles in a bowl and covers it with foil. "No eating while driving, you pig".

"Okay, Rina" he says childishly before closing the door. Kagome, confused by the exchange, heads upstairs to her room.


End file.
